Croc Pitch Panel 2026: Meet the Industry Experts in the Room
At Croc Pitch 2026, every founder faces two tests: the pitch, and the panel.
The format is 10 minutes on stage followed by 10 minutes of Q&A from a panel of industry experts. These are people with deep experience across investment, technology, and Northern Australia’s innovation ecosystem, and they’re not here to be polite. They’re here to find out whether a founder is as strong as their deck suggests.
What the panel does
The panel’s role is to probe the things a well-prepared pitch deck can obscure. Is the team capable of actually executing? Is the market opportunity real or assumed? Does the founder understand their numbers well enough to defend them under questioning? Can they hold up under pressure when the questions don’t go where they expected?
Ten minutes of Q&A with a room full of experienced people is a very different test to 10 minutes of rehearsed presentation. The panel is designed to create that pressure deliberately, because real investment decisions involve real scrutiny, and the Paspalis Investment Committee wants to see how founders respond to it.
Who makes the investment decision?
Importantly, the panel doesn’t make the investment decision. That sits solely with the Paspalis Investment Committee, the people responsible for allocating up to $1 million in venture capital across the cohort, subject to due diligence. The panel provides expert interrogation. The committee provides the verdict.
This matters for anyone watching: the Q&A is about substance and rigour, not performance. The committee considers the full picture — pitch, Q&A performance, and investment criteria — before making their decision separately after the event.
The Darwin-based Investment Manager at Paspalis Capital
The Darwin-based Investment Manager at Paspalis Capital. With 8 years of expertise in corporate advising, Alex brings strategic insights and financial acumen to drive venture capital investments and support growth initiatives.
Alex brings a wealth of expertise in supporting high-growth startups, spinouts, and scale-ups in the technology sector.
Director, of the Innovation Activation team with the Department of Trade, Business and Asian Relations and Trade, Northern Territory Government
Larnie Batten is the Director, of the Innovation Activation team with the Department of Trade, Business and Asian Relations and Trade, Northern Territory Government, supporting initiatives that strengthen the Territory’s innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem.
She has extensive experience across government, social policy, international education, project delivery and stakeholder engagement, including previously serving as Director of Study NT. Larnie holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Economics and Management from Charles Darwin University.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research and Community Connection at Charles Darwin University (CDU),
Professor Steve Rogers is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research and Community Connection at Charles Darwin University (CDU), initially being appointed in 2020 the Director of Research and Innovation in 2020.
Professor Rogers has research and high-level leadership experience in the environment sector, mining exploration and mineral processing industries with an extensive understanding of the complex regional issues facing Northern Australia and the Asia-Pacific.
Secure your seat
Want to see it unfold in person or online? Attendance is free. Croc Pitch is one of those events where being in the room makes a genuine difference. Whether you’re an investor, a fellow founder, or just someone who wants a front-row seat to where Northern Australia’s innovation is heading, it’s worth the time.
Date: Wednesday 9 September 2026
Venue: Darwin Innovation Hub, Darwin NT / Or tune in online
Time: 9am–11am ACST
Part of: Startup September, presented by BECNT
Hosted by: Darwin Innovation Hub | Sponsored by: Paspalis Capital
